Pianoforte-action



No. 28,997. PATENTED JULY 3, 1860. P. W. NIEHAUS. PIANOFORTE ACTION.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH \VM. NIEHAUS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PIANOFORTE-AOTION.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,997, dated July 3, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH TILLIAM NIEHAUS, of Boston, in the countyof Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an ImprovedPianoforte-Action; and I do hereby declare the same to be fullydescribed and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a top view; and Fig. 2, aside elevation of such action.

The said action is intended particularly for those pianos whose stringsare arranged in an upright plane, such being generally termed uprightpianos.

In my improved action the key is made to operate directly against thefly lever, which inst ad of having its fulcrum at one end, as in thecommon French action has it placed about midway between the ends, asshown in Fig. 2, of the said drawings, wherein A, is the key, B, the flylever, and C, the fulcrum of the latter. The said fulcrum is sustainedby a projection from the support bar D, which in carrying out myinvention I arrange between the fly E, and the back catch F, and withrespect to the tail block G, of the hammer H, as shown in Fig. 2. Fromthe said tail block, I extend an arm, I, which I load with lead andconnect with the back catch by means of a strap, K, which serves toinsure the return of the hammer upon or toward its rest, L, after eachblow of such hammer against the string.

The fly, E, is constructed with a hooked upper end as seen at a, and soas to operate with an angular projection Z), extending from the tailblock of the hammer. Furthermore, there is an inclined cam 0, applied tothe front side of the fly and so as to work against a regulator or cam(Z, affixed to the back of the support bar D, by a screw 0. This cam hasan adjusting screw f, screwed into and extending through the support barand against the cam, the head of the screw being on the front side ofthe support bar. By turning up the screw, the cam or regulator (Z may besprung more or less away from the bar D in order to properly adjust itwith reference to the cam c. The lower end of the fly is jointed to thelever B, from which the back catch extends as shown in the drawings, aspring g, serving to press the fly toward the tail block of the hammer.

M is the damper lever carrying the damper N, and having its fulcrum in aprojection 0, supported by a rail P. This damper lever is arrangedbetween the ham mer head and the tail block and its longer arm goesunder the back rest bar S, of the hammer and is constructed with apitman R, which at its lower end is jointed to the front end of thelever B.

When the key is struck, it elevates the front arm of the lever B, so asto cause not only the fly to be driven downward, but the back catch andthe front arm of the damper lever to be simultaneously elevated. In themeantime not only will the hammer be driven forward by the action of thefly, but the damper will be drawn off the string. During the returnmovementof the key, the return movements of each of the other movableparts will take place, the strap K, serving to insure the backward fallof the hammer.

My arrangement has advantages over those of most other upright pianoactions in use inasmuch as generally speaking it makes the action morecompact or reduces it in height and carries the damper levers below thehammer heads. Furthermore, it brings the head of the regulating screw f,on the front side of the support bar D, where access can be had to it ina better manner than when placed in rear of the supporting bar as it isin many other actions.

I claim 1. Arranging not only the support bar D, and the fulcrum of thelever B, between the back catch I and the fly E, but the regulator cam(Z, on the back of the supporting bar and its adjusting screw in suchbar in manner as specified:

2. Applying oral-ranging the back draft strap K, to the back catch F,and the loaded arm I, as described.

The arrangement of the damper lever relatively to the hammer and itsback rest block, that is placing it between the head and tail block ofthe hammer and so as to pass under the back rest bar as specified.

FRIEDRICH IVM. NIEHAUS.

lVitnesses R. H. EDDY, F. R. HALE, J r.

